Wild Cards Season 2 Episode 6 Review: ‘Seance and Sensibility’

Wild Cards Season 2 Episode 6 is the kind of episode that can make those of us who really, really love TV scream. A lot. Admittedly, that’s both for good reasons…and less good, yet probably kind of expected, ones. But before we get into the obviously most important part — the ElliMax developments straight out of fanfiction heaven and you know where else — let’s take a moment to talk about the actual murder investigation because it’s a fun one. (No, not just for that reason. We swear.)

First of all, the hour employs this classic sort of twist in which the main character who normally believes in everything suddenly doesn’t. Meanwhile, the person who’s usually a skeptic does, in fact, believe. In this case, Max is a firm no on ghosts, while Ellis is shocked to learn his partner, who was all in on the alien conspiracies a few episodes ago, draws the line at things that go bump in the night. Much like in our discussion of that alien episode, we’re again going to have to reference The X-Files. As in, say hello to Fox Mulder’s belief in any nonsense you throw at him — except all that religious stuff Scully very, very much followed, despite otherwise talking herself into a scientific explanation for every other supernatural encounter.

Another thing that makes our murder of the week stand out is how much it comes across as a love letter to spooky stories. Not scary ones, no. Just spooky ones, those tales that you’d tell with your friends when you were kids. It’s like it’s coming straight from folks who grew up with, and loved, authors like R.L. Stine or TV shows like Are You Afraid of the Dark? We have a dark and stormy night, an allegedly haunted old house, the skeleton found hidden in the creepy basement wall, a man speaking from beyond the grave, candlelight, and so much more.

To that end, Detective Ellis’ trip to the basement plays up that atmosphere exceptionally well, even in an hour that otherwise makes great use of its ghost story framework. There’s really something to be said for a dark room and a single beam of light, guiding us on our journey. If this, too, happens to scream “X-Files,” so be it. But one image which stands out just as much, maybe even more, comes at the end. Specifically, those bright red leaves, the black umbrellas, the gray sky, while everything else is washed out, is simply gorgeous. Not to mention, it’s proof that your fun, little procedural can still be — and in the case of Wild Cards most certainly is — a work of art.

MORE: Read our thoughts on our team’s alien investigation in our Wild Cards Season 2 Episode 3 review.

“I’ll be your cricket”

There are good ships and great ships, and one thing you’ve got to have to get into that higher category is a way of saying “I love you” without actually saying it. Well, after Wild Cards Season 2 Episode 6, ElliMax officially has it. Instead of Caskett’s “always,” or Benson and Stabler promising each other their kidneys (among other things), or Darvey’s forever-undefined can opener ritual — not to mention, the whole 12* years thing, “I can’t be me without you,” and an endless list of others. May or may not have a PhD in Darveynomics here — ElliMax has “I’ll be your cricket.” That the phrase comes before a big kiss, after a raw, open, confession from Ellis about how he and his brother Daniel used to say it to each other and he was the loneliest he’d ever been after Daniel’s funeral, makes it kinda magical.

But for such a sweet moment to occur as a surprise in the middle of an episode that doesn’t feel particularly high stakes for ElliMax, right after we’ve had such a blast watching them get an unexpected high out of some stolen chocolates, really elevates it. This isn’t some forced, “what if the world’s ending and this is my last chance” kind of romantic moment. It’s just them without any complications standing between them. Granted, the whole being under the influence part makes us kinda glad that the kiss didn’t go any further, and we’re not exactly upset that they walk it back after the case is closed.

Or, well. Sure, we’re upset about that part — for obvious reasons — but from a narrative standpoint, it makes sense. Especially since, you know, the whole “put it behind us” conversation is so utterly and completely awkward and forced. Talk about two people trying to put on an act to show how fine they are with being just friends, only to fail miserably.

Vanessa Morgan and Giacomo Gianniotti are, as ever, a brilliant pair. Whether you’re here for ElliMax being unapologetically silly together, side-by-side giggling and all, or you’re more into that beautiful vulnerability from Gianniotti as Cole talks about Daniel, they don’t disappoint. With the cricket line (and the kiss!!!) Morgan delivers this quiet, sure version of Max that honors both the depth of the emotion these two characters feel for one another and an almost painful sort of fragility. It works so well because the moment itself is so fragile, just like everything Max and Ellis are trying to rebuild. After all, if it weren’t so easy to break, no rebuilding would be needed.

Then, as every part of the “OMG THERE’S ONLY ONE BED…IS THIS FIC??!!!” scenes unfold, there’s always a sense of “this has got to be a dream. It can’t be real.” Which, well, yeah. Definitely a dream because it goes where we didn’t expect Ellis and Max to be — not quite yet, at least — but…it is, still, sorta not a dream in other ways. In the still-gray light of morning, they may go back to kidding themselves about only being friends and all. But we’ve seen the possibility and the love confession — just not in those words, and you can’t ever fully undo that. So now, it’s only a matter of time.

MORE: ElliMax aren’t just dancing around each other this season — they also got to dance together in Wild Cards Season 2 Episode 2! And we’re still swooning over that lift, plus Max’s fortune cookie message, in Episode 4.

More on Wild Cards Season 2 Episode 6

We do love to start an episode of TV with some Shakespeare! The Tempest!
“Is this a sleepwalking butt dial?” Amazing. Never, ever change.
Hm. Serena Pendragon. Any relation to Arthur?
“Psychics are the lowest of low. They prey on people at the worst times of their life.” Love how Max continues to have this fascinatingly gray moral code.
“Aliens are people. They just live on a different planet. Ghosts are just puffs of smoke.”
It’s the little shriek and grabbing Ellis’ shoulder for me. Any excuse to touch!
Normal people do not share an umbrella like that. It looks like you’re about to wrap your arms around her shoulders, bro. (Please do.)
Dorothy did nothing wrong. You don’t take a woman’s chocolate. Seriously, Max ought to know that.
“Grief can do strange things to people’s minds.”
“Tension, my a**. Try hatred.” Somebody needs to give Ivy her own show. Would watch.
“I can’t imagine sinking as low as to conning somebody out of their money.” And that little grin before she sips her tea.
“That’s how I sensed you were the Dick lawyer…I mean. Dick. The lawyer.” One thing Wild Cards is going to do is play with words and give you clues. Iconic.
“I could cut the tension in here with a six-inch flat-edged knife.” Well, that’s because y’all two are standing so close like that and whispering sweet nothings in each other’s ears. Ok, fine. Maybe it’s more like whispering comments about the case in each other’s ears. But same difference.
“Maybe I am psychic.” I love her.
There’s something perfect about Max picking “Row Row Row Your Boat” to sing to Ellis through that speaking horn. Like, yeah, it’s silly and cute for her to do a kids’ nursery rhyme…but she’s also just guiding him on that journey and keeping up this series’ ever-present optimism at the same time.
“A brick that’s loose!” “What about my caboose?” They’re trying to kill us.
Someone call Temperance Brennan.
“Excuse me. I have allergies.” Me when Ellis tells Max about the cricket.
“He says he loves you, but…but he wants you to move on. He wants you to be happy. You’ve been sad for too long.”
“He said, you have such a big heart. You just have to give it to someone else.”
…she’s not delivering a message from Alistair to Clara here. In case y’all need the subtext turned into text for you. Or, to be more accurate, she’s not only doing that. If the guy who really needs to hear these things isn’t in the room at the moment, that’s just part of the angsty slow burn fun. In other words, next, do Ellis.
The spooky “you’re not leaving this house” bit! They use shadows so well in this episode. So gorgeous!
IDK. Just a lot of all caps stuff in my notes from here. A few fun ones: “ONLY ONE BED.” “SHE IS SEDUCING HIM WITH CHOCOLATE.” “They’re reading the love letters…OH. MY. GOD. WHAT AM I WATCHING.” “THEY’RE CRYING OVER PICTURES OF MARC ON ELLIS’ PHONE. AS THEY SHOULD.” (No seriously, relatable AF.)
“Am I a horrible father?” WHAT IS THIS. AMAZING.
Another very serious critic’s note I wrote: “THIS IS SO [EFFING] ROMANTIC IN FRONT OF THE FLAMES WITH THEM POSITIONED A CERTAIN KIND OF WAY AND PINKY SWEARING ABOUT I DON’T KNOW WHAT.”
“Like, ten feet long, with huge eyes?” Sure, sure. Make everyone crack up in the middle of the delicious moment, just to make us doubt what’s coming. More pure brilliance.
“…if either one of us was ever or upset, or sad, or alone, we’d just whisper ‘I’ll be your cricket.'” “I feel like I’m crying. Am I crying?” Girl, I am.
“You know, if you said that, you didn’t need to say anything else. You just knew that whatever you were facing, you weren’t going to have to face it alone.”
So much emotion over such a silly, little cricket story. THE BEST EMOTION.
“Did we” in unison. I can not, part 29387433432.
It’s the way they use Dick’s name here for me.
“If only the dead could talk.” “Maybe they can.” …should’ve called Sam from Woodstone Mansion (on Ghosts), to be honest.
I know Vanessa Morgan has got to have way too much fun getting to play all these goofy characters Max creates. The psychic might be my personal favorite one yet. The drama.
Clara getting those letters back might just put me over some kind of emotional edge.
Why are they so awkward? Nooooo!!!! (Yet well played.)
“I just don’t want to do that thing where we pretend like something didn’t happen.” Because neither one of you can, obviously.
Maybe try doing it again. IDK.
The biggest con Max ever pulled — and the one she will fail at miserably — is trying to convince this man she can put that behind her. “Friends.” FFS. Please.